The two countries said in a joint statement released on Sunday that China and the United States agree that a stronger commitment to climate protection is needed ahead of the United Nations climate conference in November.
The Chinese Environment Ministry said the document was released after discussions between US climate commissioners John Kerry and Chinese climate protection commissioners Shi Chenhua in Shanghai this week.
“The United States and China are committed to working with each other and other countries on climate change,” the joint statement said.
They agreed to continue negotiations on concrete steps to reduce emissions in 2020 in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
According to the statement, the two countries also agreed to discuss specific measures to reduce emissions, such as energy storage and carbon dioxide capture in the air. Beijing and Washington also pledged to support developing countries to the greatest extent possible in the transition to low-carbon energy sources.
The United States and China are the two largest carbon emitters in the world. The climate dialogue stalled during Donald Trump’s presidency of the United States, which ended this year because he unilaterally withdrew his country from the Paris climate agreement on the grounds that the agreement would unfairly penalize US companies. But his successor, Joe Biden, has brought the United States back into the pact, and he will hold a video conference for the Climate Summit next week on his initiative.
Chinese President Xi Qingping announced at the United Nations General Assembly last September that China plans to drastically reduce carbon emissions from 2030 and plans to achieve so-called carbon neutrality by 2060. (MTI)
